TURKISH Cypriots reacted with mixed feelings to the news that the EU would be seeking to improve conditions for them as a result of their ‘yes’ vote in last Saturday’s referendum on the Annan plan.
“I don’t see how embargoes can be lifted completely,” said Guven Muratoglu in occupied Nicosia yesterday.
“There are UN resolutions preventing recognition of the ‘TRNC’ and unless these are changed, it would be very difficult for the international community to go around them,” he added.
“But if the EU lifts its own embargo, we might be able to begin selling our fruit directly to EU countries as we did in the past”.
Muratoglu added it was likely the Turkish Cypriots would then be able to receive aid and credit directly from the EU.
“This probably won’t happen at government level, but will be applied to certain sectors and for specific projects,” he added.
Nicosia restaurateur Mete Mertsoy said he believed that if direct flights to the occupied north were deemed legal by the international community, prospects for him and others in the tourism industry would improve dramatically.
“Even if we get just 10 per cent of the number of tourists that travel to the south we’ll be well off,” he said, adding that since April 23 last year, when restrictions on Greek and Turkish Cypriots crossing the Green Line were lifted, “business has improved considerably and I hope this continues”.
Student Salahi Alcali was not at all optimistic.
“I don’t believe the international community will be able to improve things for us,” he said, adding that nothing had really changed for the Turkish Cypriot community as a result of the referendum.
“I think we’re still in a terrible situation. We’ll probably end up emigrating. The Turkish army looks as if it’s going to stay, and the settlers too and I’ll still have to do my national service,” he added.
Souvenir shop owner Mehmet Ekingen, however, believed there was a good chance that the international community and the EU in particular would take steps to reward the Turkish Cypriots for backing Annan’s peace plan.
“We said ‘yes’ so I think the EU, US and UN should lift all embargoes on our country. Flights and shipping in and out of our ports should be legalised so that goods and tourists can come and go as they do in the south,” he said.
Ekingen added he believed the Greek Cypriots should be punished for their rejection of the plan and advocated and implementation of embargoes on the south.
But he added that Denktash should not be allowed to represent the north from now on.
“It was him who put us in this mess in the first place,” he insisted.
Turkish Cypriot tourism promoter Afet Degirmencioglu said she was hopeful the EU would make considerable concessions to the Turkish Cypriots to reward them for their compliance with EU wishes.
She also expressed faith in Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat, albeit subject to the support of the people.
“I think Talat can make this happen. But the people have to keep the pressure on by holding regular public rallies,” she said.
She added she did not think the EU’s pledge to help the Turkish Cypriots should not be seen as “punishment” for the Greek Cypriots.
“It could help by bringing the two communities closer together economically. No one should view this as a ‘them and us’ situation.”
Lawyer Bilun Corekcioglu said she believed her community “must continue struggling to improve conditions for ourselves,” but added that it would be difficult to secure major concessions without a review of the 1984 UN resolution prohibiting the recognition of the ‘TRNC’.
“This is something the international community has to consider in the light of the Greek Cypriot ‘no’ vote”.
“No doing so would be a major injustice, ” she added.
